Comeback season

2014-07-07 00:00:00

These players were injured last year but will make big impacts in 2014

By EJ Holland DCTF Associate Editor

For a lack of better words, injuries suck.

But we all know they’re a part of the game and almost unavoidable. Take the US Men’s National Team — can you imagine how much more dangerous they would have been if Jozy Altidore stayed healthy?

He could have helped the Yanks beat Portugal and who knows, maybe he would have been able to make the difference against Germany. 'What ifs' dont matter in the end though.

When injuries occur, all a team can do is step up and rise to the occasion just like the USMNT did and like Brazil must do without Neymar tomorrow.

But, of course, I’d be lying if I said Altidore wouldn’t have given the USMNT a HUGE boost against Belgium.

And that brings us to the sport we all love — Texas high school football. Numerous teams lost a star player to injury last season and although they — or at least some — overcame the injury, they’ll surely welcome back their studs with open arms in 2014.

If there were a watch list for Comeback Player of the Year, these guys would headline it.

QB Chad President, Temple- A Baylor commit, President was off to a fantastic start last season — over 800 yards of total offense in the first two games. But a torn ACL on the first play of Temple's third game sidelined him for the rest of the year. President was the district Newcomer of the Year in 2012 and is one of the top overall athletes in Central Texas. Expect him to put up monster numbers with his arm and legs this season.

QB/ATH Blake Lynch, Troup- Lynch is reportedly transferring to Gilmer, but that has yet to be confirmed. Wherever he ends up, Lynch, who is also a Baylor commit, will make a big impact. Although his primary position is quarterback, Lynch has the athleticism to play virtually any skill position. Before suffering a wrist injury, Lynch compiled 1,300 yards of total offense and 24 touchdowns in six games.

QB Quinten Dormady, Boerne- As a sophomore, Dormady set the San Antonio-area on fire with 3,010 yards passing and 27 touchdowns. Boerne was one of those teams that couldn’t recover after losing its top playmaker — the Greyhounds won a mere two games last year. Dormady missed all of last year after undergoing shoulder surgery, but he is now fully healthy, which means Boerne should have a bounce back year. By the way, Dr. James Andrews, whose patient list includes Drew Brees, Robert Griffin III and Tom Brady, performed the operation.

RB Chris Warren, Rockwall- One of the most sought after recruits in the state, Warren, who holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Texas, strikes fear into opposing linebackers. Usually it’s the other way around but at 6-foot-2, 235-pounds, Warren is a load to bring down. In five games last season, Warren rushed for 747 yards and 11 touchdowns before tearing his ACL.

DB Justin Dunning, Whitehouse- An ACL injury cut Dunning's junior season short, but there is no doubt that he is one of the best defensive backs not only in East Texas but the entire state. He was extremely impressive at the Dallas Nike Football Training camp, shutting down most of the receivers he went up against in 1-on-1's. At 6-foot-3, 190-pounds with 4.4 speed, Dunning, a Texas A&M commit, is exactly what you want in a safety.

DB Jalen Campbell, CC Flour Bluff- Another victim of a torn ACL, Campbell was not available for the Hornets last season. But expect him to be the face of the Coastal Bend region this season. Campbell is one of the top cover corners in the state and will also see time on the offensive side of the ball at wide receiver. Campbell, once a Texas commit, holds offers from Oregon, TCU and Texas State.

LB Andrew Ezzell, Canadian- When asked about his team’s defense, Canadian head coach Chris Koetting couldn’t stop raving about Ezzell. Koetting said Ezzell would be the leader of the defense after missing all but two games last season. Canadian finished 12-2 in 2013 and getting Ezzell back makes the Wildcats a favorite to win the 2A Division I state championship.

EJ Holland is the associate editor of Dave Campbell's Texas Football and TexasFootball.com.

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